Keyhole guard



Sept. 10, 1929. G. KOMARCSEVITS KEYHOLE GUARD Filed Dec. 4. 1928 IN V EN TOR. G1 fimarczs'ea z za.

Patented se t. 10,1929.

UNITED STATES GEORGE KOMARCSEVITS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

KEYHOLE GUARD.

Application filed December'4, 1928. Serial No. 323,754.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in key hole guards.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device to be positioned within 5 the key hole slot of a door or other lock and to be positioned therein by a special type of key which is also employed to effectits removal for the purpose of preventing insertion of a latch key or other instrument into the keyhole slot in an attempt to operate the lock mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in devices of this general character, more especially with reference to patents granted to George Komarcsevits and Gregor Traiber, Number 1,135; 589, dated April 13, 1915, and also patent granted to George Komarcsevits and Frank G. Nunn, Number 1,566,021, specific improvements relating to the manner of coupling the two parts of the safety device in assembled relation as well as means for limiting rotary movement of one part of the device upon the other part thereof.

With the above and other objects in. view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an edge elevational view of a door, partly shown in section, showing the safety device initially positioned in the keyhole slot and lower end of the lock casing, with one of the parts of the safety device disposed in the keyhole slot and the other part located in the lock casing;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the ward carried by the shank of the safety device shifted to horizontal position by the positioning key;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the safety device entirely disposed within the lock casing with the forward end of the shank of the safety device supported in the key hole slot at the opposite side of the door and with the shank reversely rotated by the positioning key with the plate initially disposed in the keyhole slot of the horizontal plate;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational yiew of the safety device with the position mg key assembled thereon;

Figure 5 is aside elevational view of the positioning key showing the bayonet slot in the end thereof for engagement with the safety device;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on line 66 of Figure 4 showing the pin on the end of the safety device on the end of the shank of the safety device to be engaged by the positioning key;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4- showing the spring finger carried by the plate depending from the barrel that is mounted upon the safety device shank engageable in a side notch in the shank for holding the barrel and shank assembled;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional View similar to Figure 7 showing the ward of the safety device in its rotatably shifted position and with the assembling spring engaging a second flat face on the shank;

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 4, showing abutment shoulders on a broken annular flangecarried by the key shank that are engageable with the barrel plate for limiting rotary movement of the shank;

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view similar to Figure 9 showing the shank shifted to its limited movement in the opposite direction; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, showing the assembled shank and barrel of the safety device with the spring carried by the plate of the barrel engageable in a side notch in the shank for holding the shank and barrel assembled.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a door 1 having a lock casing 2 set therein with a part of the tumbler mechanism 3 diagrammatically illustrated, the lock casing and mechanism being of the type having aligned key hole slots 4 at oppostie sides of the door 1, facing an area 5 at the lower end of the lock casing that is free of the locking mechanism.

The safety device for the lock comprises an element positionable in the lock casing and supported at one of its ends in one of the keyholes t through the medium of a positioning key to prevent entrance of a lock key into the lock casing for unauthorized releasing of the lock mechanism. The safety device comprises a shank having a ward 7 projecting laterally therefrom intermediate its ends providing a projecting end 6 for the shank. An annular shoulder is carried by the shank 6 inwardly of the ward 7 and is designated by the reference numeral 8, the shoulder being cut away at one side of the shank a distance slightly more than as shown in Figures 9 and 10 to form well defined abutments 9 for purposes presently to appear. The shank 6 adjacent to he annular shoulder 8 and inwardly thereof is provided with a pair of right angularly disposed fiat faces 10 cut into the circular shank and forming side shoulders 11 as shown in Figures 7, 8 and 11, while the inner terminal end of the shank 6 is angularly reduced as at 12 and is provided with a radial peripheral pin 13 for purposes presently to appear.

The companion member of the safety device comprises a barrel or sleeve 14 adapted for rotatable mounting upon the shank 6 inwardly of the annular shoulder 8 and said barrel 1 1 has a side opening 15 formed therein registering with the flat faces 10 upon the shank 6 between the shoulders 11. A ward plate 16 laterally projects from the barrel 14 and extends laterally of said barrel in a direction toward the ward 7 as clearly shown in Figure 4.

When the barrel and shank are assembled, the same are so retained by the leaf spring 17 having its end 17 anchored to the plate ward 16, the spring 17 being tensioned in a direction toward the shank 6 as illustrated and engaging either of the flat faces 10 of said shank, the sides of the spring engaging the shoulders 11 as shown in Figures 7, 8 and 11 to prevent lateral movement of the barrel. on the shank, but permitting rotary movement thereof. The rotary movement of the shank 6, relative to the barrel 8 is limited by the abutments 9 on the annular shoulder 8 being moved into engagement with ward plate 16 as shown in Figures 9 and 10 and when either of said abutments 9 are engaged with the ward plates, the spring 11 is engaged with a flat face 10 on the shank 6. The tubular positioning key 18 has a bayonet slot 19 formed in one end that is received on the reduced end 12 of the key shank for engaging the pin 13 and effects placement of the safety device in the lock casing and also removal thereof from the lock casing as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

The relative position of the barrel 14: carrying the plate ward 16 and the shank 6 carrying the ward 7 when being initially inserted in the lock casing is shown in Figure 1, the safety device being manipulated by the positioning key 18. The device is inserted in the lock casing as shown in Fig ure 1 with the ward plate 16 disposed in one of the key hole slots 4. The positioning key 18 is then rotated and in View of its pin and slot connection 13-49 with the shank 6, the latter is rotated through an arc of approximately 90 and limited by the abutment 9 engaging the plate ward 16, the ward 7 upon the shank 6 then assuming the position shown in Figure 2. The safety device is then completely moved into the lock casing with the forward end 6 of the shank 6 disposed in the opposite key hole slot 4 and the two parts of the safety device are then rotatably shifted in a reverse direction to cause the ward 7 to depend in alignment with the adjacent keyhole slot 4 while the ward plate 16 traverses the oppo site keyhole slot 4. The positioning key 18 is then removed and the safety device is supported in the lock casing as shown in Fi ure 3. It is necessary to remove the saety device before a regular lock key can be inserted in the lock casing for operating the lock mechanism.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. A safety device for looks comprising a shank having a ward projecting laterally therefrom, a barrel rotatable on the shank and having a ward plate projecting laterally therefrom, there being a side opening in the barrel, an annular flange on the shank engaged by one end of the barrel, a part of the flange being cut away forming spaced abutments to be engaged by the ward plate to limit reverse rotary movements of the barrel on the shank and means carried by the ward plate engageable with the shank through the barrel opening to hold the barrel and shank assembled.

2. A safety device for locks comprising a shank having a ward projecting laterally therefrom, a barrel rotatable on. one end of the shank and having a plate ward projecting laterally therefrom and longitudinally toward the shank ward, an annular flange 0n the shank for limiting sliding movement of the barrel onto the shank, said flange being interrupted to define spaced shoulders engageable with the ward plate to limit re verse rotary movements of the shank in the barrel, said barrel having a side opening therein, a pair of right angularly disposed flattened faces on the shank alined with the opening and defining side shoulders, and a spring finger on the Ward plate engaging the flattened faces between the side shoulders to hold the shank in rotatably adjusted positions and the shank and barrel assembled.

3. A safety device for locks comprising a shank having a ward projecting laterally therefrom, a barrel rotatable on one end of the shank and having a plate Ward projecting laterally therefrom and longitudinally toward the shank ward, an annular flange on the shank for limiting sliding movement of the barrel onto the shank, said flange being interrupted to define spaced shoulders engageable With the Ward plate to limit reverse rotary movements of the shank in the barrel, said barrel having a side opening therein, a pair of right angularly disposed flattened faces on the shank alined with the opening and defining side shoulders, a spring finger on the Ward plate engaging the flattened faces between the side shoulders to hold the shank in rotatably adjusted positions and the shank and barrel assembled, the inner end of the shank Within the barrel being annularly reduced and a radial pin carried by the reduced end to be engaged by a positioning key for locating the device in the keyhole slot of a lock.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

GEORGE KOMARCSEVITS. 

